Reinforce corrugated cardboard box

ABSTRACT

The present invention is an improvement to reinforce the corrugated cardboard container. More specifically, the invention reinforces the base of such containers, thus, allowing them to bear a much heavier weight load without breaking apart. The invention utilizes a cross-sectional reinforcement system with hooks and loops at its base to achieve such durability.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The current invention is an improvement in which the corrugated cardboard container is reinforced. The invention focuses on strengthening the corrugated cardboard container, which is comprised of four walls and eight foldable flaps, four on the top and four on the base. Each set of four flaps consists of two inner flaps and two outer flaps, similar to most corrugated cardboard containers. The current invention uses a cross-sectional reinforcement system to reinforce the container's structure as well as allow it to withstand a much heavier load of contents without the base breaking due to an overbearing weight load. The current invention relates to field of corrugated cardboard containers.

2. Description of Related Art

Corrugated cardboard containers are widely used with many different objectives in mind. There are many different variations of the corrugated cardboard container, all of which serve a different purpose.

Cantu-Gonzalez, U.S. Pat. No. 7,745,011 B2, claimed corrugated cardboard has multiple walls, with the most common of corrugated cardboards containing a total of three walls. These three walls consist of the following: two outer walls (also known as liners in U.S. Pat. No. 7,745,011 B2) and an inside slip of corrugated cardboard.

Crowell, U.S. Pat. No. 1,299,683, proposed a corrugated cardboard container in which the flaps to seal the container were held in place by the sides of the container itself. Further, this variation of the corrugated cardboard container required the use of gummed tape or an adhesive material to securely lock the container's flaps in a closed position, thus, securely sealing the objects inside.

Marshall, U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,651, proposed a corrugated cardboard container that was waterproof and was to be used during the hydro-cooling process of shipping produce and fruit.

Lorenz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,072, proposed a corrugated cardboard box that contained multiple layers in an effort to strengthen the container. Each layer contributed to the strength of the container, all-the-while making the container thicker in the process.

Tanaka, U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,901, proposed a variation of the corrugated cardboard container in which there was a single strip of corrugated cardboard between two outer sheets. The container also features flaps and a cylindrical support structure.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The current invention is an improvement to the corrugated cardboard container. It contains a cross-sectional reinforcement system with connected inner base flaps (via hook and loop) to assist the container in maintaining its integrity while enduring the weight of a heavy load.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a prior art image of corrugated cardboard container figure.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of corrugated cardboard panel with outer shell, cardboard corrugation in the center as well as the cross-sectional reinforcement system.

FIG. 3 shows the cross-sectional reinforcement system.

FIG. 4 shows the cross-sectional reinforcement system with an elongated support structure for top flaps.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the cross-sectional reinforcement with an elongated support structure for top flaps and the wire mesh support structure portion of the base flaps.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the cross-sectional reinforcement with base flap connector.

FIG. 7 shows a modified version of the prior art image from FIG. 1 showing the cross-sectional reinforcement system's location, which is folded with the inner flaps.

FIG. 8 shows a base view of the inner flaps in FIG. 7 showing the cross-sectional reinforcement support connectors, with the outer flaps missing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Composition/Manufacture

The present invention is an improvement to the well-known and widely used standard corrugated cardboard container. Standard corrugated cardboard containers consist of several parts: two liners, one on each side, and a sheet of corrugated cardboard between them. Further, there are generally four flat side panels and flaps on the top and bottom of the container that may be sealed with a gummed tape, thus sealing the contents securely inside the container. The flaps on the corrugated cardboard container are held in place by each side panel, similar to those in Lorenz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,072. Each side panel is flat and is directly connected to the respective flaps on that side. Each flap is slightly smaller in terms of width than their respective panels to allow them to fold in easily. Further, the flaps are folded along a fold line, which is a pressed section of the corrugated cardboard container between each flap and panel.

The current invention uses this model, as seen in FIG. 1 (prior art). FIG. 2 shows the layered structure of each panel. The liners (FIG. 2, “2”) are solid, non-corrugated sheets of hard paper. The inner corrugated (FIG. 2, “3”) sheet, however, consists of a wave-like pattern of cardboard. This is similar to that found in Tanaka U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,901. Also, similar to Tanaka U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,901, this container uses an adhesive to bind the corrugated cardboard to the liners of each panel. The point of adhesion may be found in FIG. 2, “10.” However, the current invention has a fourth layer that serves as a reinforcement (FIG. 2, “4”) to the base of the container.

The cross-sectional reinforcement system (FIG. 3, “4”) may be a wire mesh material, nanotechnology, or any other durable type of material. This cross-sectional reinforcement system is glued to the inside of the inside flap side panels. It runs across the entire inner base flaps (FIG. 8) of the container and continues halfway up each respective side panel as a full cross-sectional reinforcement system structure. At the halfway point the system ends but elongated support strands (FIG. 4, “5”) extend halfway into each respective top flap (FIG. 7, “7”). FIG. 5 shows a side view of the cross-sectional reinforcement system layer.

The reinforcement system in the base flaps of the container meets in the center of the container where the two flaps meet, where there are hooks and loops. The hooks (FIG. 8, “8”) and loops (FIG. 8, “9”) are small and flat. The hooks are connected to the cross-sectional reinforcement system on one flap and the loops are connected to the other, each on complimentary sides of one another. FIG. 6 shows a side view of only the hook and loop with the cross-sectional reinforcement system layer of the improved corrugated cardboard container.

Usage

To use the current improvement of the corrugated cardboard container one must simply unfold the flat container and fold each base flap towards the center of the container, ensuring the hooks and loops are on the inner flaps. Then, one must connect the hooks and loops, close the external flaps and apply an adhesive tape over them as one normally would when sealing a corrugated cardboard container. The hooks and loops are flattened to allow the easy application of gummed tape as well as easy storage.

The current invention would ideally be used when moving objects such as pots and pans, books or other heavy objects, when the container is most likely to break under such stress.

Distinguished from other Inventions

The current invention is different than the variations of reinforced corrugated cardboard containers described under the description of related art section. Whereas one of those containers focuses on waterproofing the container and the other strengthens the sides and focuses on different methods to protect the contents inside, the current invention is an improvement that assists the corrugated cardboard container in bearing a heavier weight load at its base, along with achieving the goal of protecting said contents from the side. 

I claim:
 1. A cross-sectional reinforcement system in which the durability of the base of the corrugated cardboard container is strengthened while under continuous stress.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The cross-sectional reinforcement system in claim 1, further comprising cross-sectional reinforcements that meet at the two interior base flap's meeting point when folded along the fold lines and travels up to the halfway point of each side panel.
 4. The cross-sectional reinforcements in claim 3, further comprising elongated, non-cross-sectional supports that extend from the halfway point into each side panel up and halfway into each side panel's respective top flap; said elongated supports also extend into the inner base flaps.
 5. The cross-sectional reinforcements in claim 1, further comprising flattened hook and loop system attached to the cross-sectional reinforcement system, located at the base of the corrugated cardboard container, on the inner flaps. 